How to cook Salted Cod

5 from 31 votes

Learn with this easy guide how to remove salt from salted cod. Get tips you should remember when buying it and desalination (removing salt) methods.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Tiempo de remojo2

Total Time2 45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Caribbean, Panamanian

Servings: servings

Calories: 274kcal

Remove the cod from the package and give it a rinse with tap water to remove the pieces of salt it has. This way we help to remove as much salt as it may have on top.
If the cod pieces are large, you can cut them smaller so that they desalt a little faster. Make sure they are roughly the same size.
Place the pieces of cod in a large container. It can be a pot or a mixing bowl. Cover it with plenty of water (8 cups aprox.). It can be cold or at room temperature and store in the fridge to soak.

Change the water every 30 minutes. Remove it from the refrigerator and rinse again and put it back in the container with plenty of water. After 2 hours, you can remove it from the water and give it another rinse.

Cambia el agua cada 30 minutos para cumplir con el tiempo de 2 horas. Siempre guardandolo en el refrigerador.

Place the fish in a pot and fill it with fresh water. Place on the stove over low-medium heat. Let it simmer from 20-30 minutes. You can cook it in increments of 10-15 minutes, and you can taste it. This may take a little longer, depending on the thickness of the fish. Make sure to check the water level and add more if needed during the cooking process.
After the time has passed, remove the water and taste a small piece of the fish to verify that you have removed the excess salt. You can repeat this process one or two more times until it has the right flavor for your taste.
Once desalted, remove from the pot and place it in a bowl. When it's cool to the touch, you can use your hands to remove any large bones and spines. Also, remove the skin and shred all the fish
Now you have the desalted cod ready for any preparation in which it’s required to use shredded.

if you have a larger piece of cod, follow the same steps. You may need to soak it a little longer and cook it for an additional time.